The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-06-02
LESSON IN ANATOMY.

LESSON IN ANATOMY.
1t was at Naples that the incident
occurred of which am about to speak.
sad Gen. Gerald n he seated himself
1T 4 table IN tie NapoliEo Club room
and lighted 4 cigar. II was many years
ago and when wa>a very much younger
man than am 1T present, but ! have
only TO close my eyes and the place
the scene, even TO its smallest detail
is before me as distinctly as upon the
day it happened.
The name of the principal actor i'm
plicated in the horrible affair ! with
hold for obvious reasons, but will say
that he was well known physician,
celebrated III the profession Of medicine
and scientific surgery, and that he is
dead. He died regretted. beloved, and
honorcd by all who knew him, though
it might have been otherwise, in spite
of his generous and kindly nature, had
everything been told but am getting
too far ahead in the story.
In the winter of 1850, the General
continued, addressing the group Of
gentlemen gathered about the table
with him, most of them in the semi
official dress Of men who have at one
time served in the army, business called
me to the city Of Naples. | had been
there six months or more when acci-
dent brought me the acquaintance of
Pictro Gonzalez, youth from the Island
of Calabrcs. who had come to the
Capital of the Two Sicilies for the the
purpose Of deyoting himself to the pro-
fession of advocate. Pietro detested
the profession of advocate, was wholly
untitled for ii. in fact. and had adopted
it only to crafty tho wishes of his
father. However, at the time that l
met him he had given it up and was
going through a course of medical
studies as conscicntiously, even though
as perfuneiorily, pursued as the former
course of law.
Perhaps You are not aware of it, but
it is nevertheless true that the parents
Of the youth Of Italy. particularly OF
Naples, whether Of the higher or Of
the middle classes Of society, recog-
nizc but two suitable careers for their
~ons-onc the bar, the other medicine
the '.liberal professions rs they call
them-and SO far do they carry the
periudce that a young man who
persists in the choice Of a profession
other than one of the two named is
Immediately turned out of doors by his
parents. the ceremony being accom-
panied by appropriate maledictions.
Under the circumstances it is not re-
marhable that Neapolitan circles are
siagulariy lacking in notable architects,
authors, poets, and painters, and singu.
larlv oycrcroWded in other directions
but to return.
A warm and close intimacy had
gradually established itself between
Gonzalez and myself. One day. meet
ing him iii the street on his way to on,
of his intcrminablc lectures. he invite,
me to accompany him. With little
fancy for amusements of this kind
tried to get out of it. preferring K
study the structure of the human bod,
from books Of physiology, or, BETTE
still. from living beings. 1t was not a
realistic, of course, but sufficiently in
structivc for one whose business re
quired him to make instead of manglin:
corpses. Overruled at last by Pcitro'
pcrsistency, but still against my will,
consented to 60 with him.
No. decidedly. have not forgotten
the scene which chance or fatalit,
made me witness Of. nor the theatr
Of its occurrences; but when / 81,
theatre. do not use the right word
amphitheatrc would be more correct
for we were in the dissccting-roOm o
the "Hospital DIES Incurables, a crue
and sinister name for the unfortunat
ones brought there to be treated.
Pietro told me as we walked alon;
that DR.. X, we will call him, for tn
sake of convenience, the physician t
whom referred a while ago, was no
to deliver one of his usual public lee
lures, but semi-private lesson in anat
omy to dozen or SO Of his best pupils
demonstrated, of course, by the scapel
AS Il favoritc Of the doctor s, Pictro wa
occasionally permitted tobring a frien
with him. He had inyitei-nay, NOR
than that-he had kidnapped me.
The huge, circular hall appropriate
to the making of autopsies in the Hos
pital DIES Incurables was lighted-I ha
forgotten to say that it was night lee
ture-by a large and peculiarly cor
structed lantern hanging low from tn
center of the ceiling. A powerful un
brella-shaped reflector, supported upo
an upright, was SO arranged above tn
lsntern as to throw all the light fror
the burners down upon a marble tabl
standing just beneath it. The rest (
the lugubrious apartment was plunge
in black obscurity.
The class of students was alread
assembled when we entered the dissect
ing-room, talking, laughing, an
railying each other with the levity 9
thoughtless youth, and at the momen
of our arrival two of the hospital al
tendants were bringing in the body
the subject of the coming lecture
wrapped in an old and dingy shroud
Judging from the painting and putin
af the men, theirritating shuttle of thei
feet upon the floor. and the haste wit
which they tumbled it upon the slat
the "subject'' was in an unusually re
bust condition.
A moment later the doctor entere
the room and with courteous inclina
q o - ct,, n%c N
once approached the table.
u will occupy your attention thi
evening, gentlemen" he began, care
fully uncovering the body and scrutin
izing it closely, with the organs Q
respiration, and, as you see, the subjec
before us is particularly well adapted t
display their wonderful mechanism
He is young, perfectly-formed, an
what is more essential still, has not die
f,.o,,, an,, I,roaco nstha,. of tho h n.